“Don’t worry, she won’t escape. You won’t be alone on the road to the underworld,” Ling Xiao said coldly, turning and thrusting his sword at the female disciple.
“Don’t kill me!”
The once-arrogant woman collapsed instantly.
Though she was beautiful, tears streaming down her face, she was already on Ling Xiao’s kill list.
The moment she declared he’d be her slave lackey, her fate was sealed.
She paid a heavy price for her arrogance.
“Phew~~”
Looking at the three Sword King Sect disciples lying in pools of blood, Ling Xiao let out a long breath.
Killing didn’t feel good.
If not forced, he’d rather not be so ruthless.
Their martial souls were sent into the Mountains and Rivers World, still used to strengthen the ancient Golden Dragon’s soul.
Ling Xiao’s standards were higher now; ordinary martial souls didn’t interest him. If he found a particularly unique one, he might claim it.
Before burning the bodies, he took their storage rings and probed them with his soul force, a smile of delight crossing his face.
To avoid trouble, he tossed the rings into the Mountains and Rivers World, incinerated the bodies, and returned to the Divine Sword Sect.
After handing over the vast collection of martial arts, silver, low-grade spirit stones, and elixirs to the sect, he took most of the gold, many low-grade spirit stones, a few mid- and high-grade spirit stones from the Sword King Sect disciples, and a martial arts manual from the female disciple back to the Yuehua Sect.
Unnoticed.
No one cared if an outer sect disciple vanished for a few days.
He’d set up a small array in his cave dwelling that emitted his aura, making others think he was cultivating inside.
Back at the Yuehua Sect, Ling Xiao settled down and examined the martial arts manual from the female disciple—<Shadow Sword Art>.
This manual was like a fusion of <Shadow Clone Technique> and <Sword Control Technique> but far superior, a top-tier gold-grade martial art.
“A female disciple had such a manual? Was she really the daughter or granddaughter of a Sword King Sect elder?”
Ling Xiao stuck out his tongue, realizing he’d stirred up serious trouble.
But since they’d acted with Wan Ben to target the Divine Sword Sect without their sect’s approval, even if the Sword King Sect traced it to the Divine Sword Sect and then to him, it would take time.
In that time, he’d elevate his cultivation to a higher level.
When the time came, he’d face any challenge head-on, fearless.
As mentioned before, secular martial arts were often castrated or simplified versions.
The quasi-gold-grade <Sword Control Technique> was one such case.
It was a simplified version of <Shadow Sword Art>, stripped of excess to focus purely on sword techniques.
But the complete <Shadow Sword Art> wasn’t just sword techniques—it was a cultivation method.
The manual’s introduction stated it was a top-tier gold-grade martial art, with no limits on the cultivator’s level or potential.
However, its cultivation was split into two phases: “Shadow Transformation” and “Sword Art.”
The first phase had to be completed before the second.
The first phase was similar to <Shadow Clone Technique>, requiring the creation of sword soul clones.
These clones aided cultivation. Martial artists below the Heavenly Human Realm could create up to thirteen sword soul clones.
But for cultivation assistance, two were optimal; more reduced efficiency, making two the most effective.
Creating sword soul clones was complex.
First, a sword soul was needed.
Second, knowledge of array formation was required.
Finally, a martial soul clone was necessary.
Only with all three could a sword soul clone be crafted.
Once created, it was permanent.
After completing the first phase with thirteen sword soul clones, the second phase—cultivating the “Sword Art” techniques—could begin.
Though the process was tedious, Ling Xiao knew martial art requirements weren’t arbitrary; there was a reason.
Perhaps thirteen sword soul clones were needed to master the sword art.
With <Shadow Clone Technique> and <Sword Control Technique>, he already had a formidable combination, so he wasn’t in a rush for new techniques.
His priority was crafting two sword soul clones to replace <Shadow Clone Technique> for cultivation, which would vastly increase his speed.
Unfortunately, he’d used all the sword martial souls he’d obtained to strengthen the Golden Dragon’s soul.
No matter.
Sword martial souls weren’t hard to find. He was confident he’d get them soon.
With that, he headed to the Yuehua Sect’s trading market.
The market had nearly everything, including martial souls.
Martial arts had advanced to where souls could be transplanted from one body to another.
However, the transplanted soul required a long adaptation period, so few chose this unless necessary.
Some with excellent martial talent but unable to awaken a soul needed this.
Others, dissatisfied with their soul, did the same.
While souls could be transplanted, experts studying them found it impossible to grant a martial artist more than one soul through this method.
They concluded only those born with two or three souls could undergo such transplants, rendering it pointless.
Ling Xiao’s case was unique. With the Mountains and Rivers Martial Soul, he could absorb multiple souls without issue.
Currently, he couldn’t use more than three souls simultaneously, but rotating them was fine.
He was well-versed in the sect’s trading market and quickly found a stall selling martial souls.
“Oh, isn’t this Junior Brother Ling, the top outer sect disciple? Here to buy a martial soul?”
The stall owner’s tone carried a hint of scorn.
Ling Xiao had long been the top outer sect disciple, but peers like Leng Hao, Zhao Zhi, Zhao Ci, and Dai Yuling had advanced to the inner sect.
He remained an outer disciple.
Rumors spread that his peak was outer sect first place—impressive but meaningless, still an ant.
Ling Xiao ignored the disdain.
How could a sparrow understand a swan’s ambitions?
He wouldn’t broadcast his goals to the world.
